Fluid governor meter



Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,520,668 PATENT OFFICE. l

JOHN T. WILKIN, .oF GONNERSVILLE, INnIANA, AssrGNoIt To TIIEoONNERsvILLE BLOWER OO., OI` CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION orINDIANA.

FLUID GOVERNOR METER.

Application led May 7,

To all lwhom it may concer/n:

Be it known thatI, JOHN T. WILKIN, a 'citizen of the United States,residing at Connersville, in the county of Fayette and State of Indiana,have invente a new and useful Fluid Governor Meter, of which thefollowing is a specification.

It is..the object of my invention to govern 4and' measure the rate offlow of fluid through a pipe, especially in chemical plants; and toreduce to a minimum the loss of power'oc casioned by the throttlingcontrol when such throttling is effective for stabilizing; andfrom amore specific aspect to govern the division of fluid-flow among aplurality of pipes, all supplied from the same main.

In many chemical processes gases are passed up through washers, mixers,saturators, or aerators containing liquids, and it is desirable that theflow ofv gas through each unit be at a substantially constant rate andthat a proper division of gas flow be maintained among the l'parallelunits, of which there are usually a number in the plant, all suppliedfrom the same main. Unless ,there is some regulation, the division ofgas-flow :among the unit's isunstable; for upon any slight increase inthe flow through* one unit for any cause, the increased flow of gasserves to reduce the back-pressure from the `liquid, by reason of themixture of a greater quantity of as with it and they consequentl'essening of t e weight of the liquid per unit of volume; and becauseof this there is a tendency to increase further the How through thatvunit which already has Atoo large a flow. In other words, with severalparallel-connected units there may arise' a tendency for one unit to hogthe gas by taking an increasingly greater part of the total gas, thusoverloading itself and lrobbing the other units of their share, withconsequent decrease in effectiveness of operation.

In such processes it has been the practice to control the iow of gas toeach unit by means of a throttle valve in the branch pipe leading fromthe main. If anything like stability and uniform results are obtained bythe'throttling system, the head pressure in the main must beconsiderably higher than the pressure required to do the work in thetanks, thus resulting 1n great loss of power through the throttlevalves.

By myinvention I obtain practically 1923.- serial No. 637.381.

equal and uniform How of Agas tothe several units, and reduce to aminimum the vloss of power by throttling. While I have above referred tomy invention in connection with chemical plants and in connection withwashers, 'mixers, saturators and aerators, this is merely by way ofexample, as showing one use of' my invention, and is not aV limitationof theuse to which my invention may be put.'

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is a frontelevation of a fluid overnor-meter embodying my invention; fig. 2 is aside elevation of such governor-meter, with some parts broken away andin section, and with the gas-connections diagrammatically indicated;Fig. 3is a plan of a battery of my governor-meters, in

move ammonia and other water-soluble constitutents.

In order to regulate the rate of flowv through each pipe 11, both per seand in relation to the rate of flow through other pipes 11, I place ineach pipe 11 a rotary displacement meter 12, and a control valve 13which in accordance with my invention is controlled by the speed of thedisplacement meter 12 to maintain such speed substantially constant. Thevalve 13 may be either ahead of orbehind the displacement meter 12.

The meter 12 may take vari-ous forms, so long as it is of thedisplacement type; but the type which I prefer is of thetwo-lobedimpeller type, wherein two impellers 1 4 mounted on parallelshafts 15 and having lobes which intert with each other as the shafts 15rotate in opposite directions are turned by the iowof fluid passingthem, the impellers being mounted in the usual casing 16 with the wallof which one lobe of an impeller comes int-o contact as the other lobepasses out of contact. This type of displacement meter is found tobevery accurate in moving in strict proportion to ymy invention.

.sired type,

= spectively,

the lvolume of fluid passing through it. I prefer to arrange thisldisplacement meter so that the flow through it is downward, by havingthe pipe 11 enter it from the top and leave it from the bottom. Ifdesired, one of the shafts 15 may be connected to an indicating device17, indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 1, for indicating either the rateyof speed of the meter or for counting the number of revolutionswhichthe meter has made; but this is merely a matter of preference, and is inno way essential to The control valve 13 may be of any debut isindicated diagrammatically as having a movable gate which by itsvertical movements opens and closes the size of the passage through thevalve. This gate 20, or` other size-varying member of the valve 13, isconnected toA be operated by a piston 21 movable in a cylinder 22, thearrangement which I prefer having the gate 20 mounted directly on thelower end of the piston rod 23 which at its upper'end carries suchpiston 21.

The upper and lower ends ot' cylinder 22 are connected to two pipes 25and 26, which lead to two ports 27 and 28 respectively of' a pilotvalve'29. The pilot valve 2S) also has a supply port 30, which is,supplied through a pipe 31 with fluid Vunder pressure from any suitablesource; and a waste port 32 connected with a suitable waste pipe 33. Thesupply port opens passage 34 of the pilot valve between two collars 35and 36 on a valve-stem 37, which two collars cooperate respectively withtle ports 27 and 28 communicating with the upper and `lower ends of thecylinder 22 reand normally close both ports 27 and 28. The port 32 opensinto one end space 38 in the pilot valve 29, and this end spacecommunicates by a through passage 39 to the other end space 40, so -thatboth end spaces 38 and 40 communicate with the waste pipe 33 at alltimes. If the valvestem 37 is raised, the port 28 is put intocommunication with the port 30, and the port 27 into communication withthe waste pipe 33, so that the fluid supplied under pressure ythroughthe pipe 31 may flow through the pipe 26 into the lower end of thecylinder 2 and Huid may escape from the upper end of such cylinder 22 bv`way of the pipe 25, and the piston 21 will rise to raise the gate'20and open further the valve 13; while 'Lit t-h'e \valveste1n' `37 islowered, the port 27 isput into communica tion with the portl 30, andthe port 28 into communication with the waste pipe 33, so

- that the reverse action'will occur in the cylinder 22 and pipes 25 and26, and the piston 21 will be pushed downward to close further the valve13.

The valve-stem 37 is moved upward or into the central fly-ball governordownward from normal according as the speed of' the displacement meter12 falls belowv or rises above normal. To accomplish this, in a simpleway, Ione of the shafts 15 of the displacement meter is connected,through bevel gearing 41', to a fly-ball governor 42, the, lower collar43 of which is vertically-fixed while the upper collar 44 thereof .isattached'to the valve-stem 37 of the pilot valve 29; so that upon anincrease in speed, the balls of the fly-ball governor fly out further,to lower the collar 44, and thus to lower the stem 37 of the pilotvalve; and vice lversa. In operation, into the various pipes fluid fromthe main 10 flows 11, and through any lapparatus which such pipes 11supply, suchI as washers for absorbing ammonia from the gas. As the gasflows through the pipes 11, it flows downward through the respectivedisplacement meters 12, and rotates the impellers 14 of said meters inaccordance with the volume of the gas passing. The rotation ot' theimpeller 14 drives the shafts 15 and turns the fly-ball governors 42'.Each ily-ball governor is so connected to the valve-stem 37 of itsassociated pilot valve 29 that 'for a normal rate of gas-flow the stem37. is'in the position shown in Fig. 4, with both ports 27 .and 28closed by the respective collars 35 and 36, so that the piston 21 andgate 2O will be at rest.

Il now, for any reason, there is an `increase in the rate of Huid-flowthrough any pipe 11, there is a corresponding increase in the speed ofthe displacement meter 12v This causes the balls of the 42 t o flyoutward, to lower the valve-stem 37. This connects the port 27 .to thesupply port 30, and the port 28 to the waste pipe 33, so that fluidunder pressure is supplied by thepipe 25 to the upperpart of thecylinder 22, and allowed to escape from the lower part of said cylinderto the pipe 26; which produces a downward movement ot' the piston 21, toclose the gate 20 further. This cuts down the rate oit' fluid flowthrough the central valve 13, and therefore through the associated inthat pipe.

pipe 11 and displacement meter 12; which causes such displacement meterto decrease in speed, and the balls of the fly-ball governor to' moveinward, to raise the valvesten'i 37 and stop the flow of fluid underpressure which was producing the` movement of the piston 21 and valve20.

If for any reason the ratelof flow through i to move upward to raise thegate 20 and permit flow of iiuid at a greater rate through theassociated pipe 1 1 and displacement meter' 12; until by the return ofthe speed of such displacement meter to normal, the fly-ball governorhas acted to return the valve-stem 37 to normal and stop such upwardmovement of the piston 21,

There is no tixedrelation between the speed of the displacement'meter 12and the position of the piston 21 and gate 20. Vlhenever the speed ofthe displacement meter departs from the normal value for which theapparatus is set, whether by rising above or falling below such normal,fluid under pressure is supplied to move the piston 21 and gate 20; andthe supply of such fluid under pressure is continued, and the movementof the gate 20 is also continued, until there has been a sufficientchange in the rate of fiuid fiow through the pipe 11 and valve 13 toproduce a return Aof the speed of the meter 12 to normal. This may occurwith only a slight movement ofthe piston 21, or it may occur only aftera rather long-continued movement of such piston.

As a result of this control, the flow` of fluid through each ipe .11 isaccurately governed, and maintained at a substantially uniform rate, andhogging of the gas by any of the pipes 1l is effectively prevented.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a pipe through which -thereis a flow of fluid, a displacement meter lin said pipe, a valvecontrollingv the rate of Huid-How through said pipe, and means forgoverning saidvalve'by the speed of said displacement meter. f

2. in combination, a pipe through which there is a flow of fluid, adisplacement meter associated with said pipe so that its speed varieswith the rate. of fluid-flow through said pipe, a valve controlling therate ot 'fiuid-fiow through said pipe, and means for governing saidvalve by the speed of said displacement meter.

3. in combination, a pipe through which there is a flow of fiuid, adisplacement meter in said pipe, a valve controlling the rate offluid-flow through said pipe, power-operated means or opening andclosing said valve, and pilot means Acontrolled by the speed of saiddisplacement meter for controlling the supply of power to said powerAoperated means.

t. in combination, a pipe through which there is a flow of fluid, a,displacement meter` associated with said pipe so that its speed varieswith the rate or" fluid-flow through said pipe, a valve controlling therate of Huid-flow through said ipe, power-operated means for openingand) closing said valve, and pilot means controlled by the speed ot saiddisplacement meter for controlling the supply of power to saidpower-operated means.

5. ln combination, a pipe through which there is a flow of Huid, adisplacement meter in said pipe, a valve controlling the rate offluid-flow through said pipe7 power-operated means for moving said valvetoward and from closed position to vary the size of the passagc' throughthe valve, and pilot means controlled by the speed of said displacementmeter for controllingthe supply of power to said power-operated means tomove the valve toward and from closedposition upon increase and decreaserespec-y tively in the speed of said displacement meter from normal andshutting off the supply of power t said power-operated means when thespeed of said displacement meter returns to normal.

6. lnA combination, a pipe through which there is a flow of fluid, adisplacement meter associated with said pipe so that its speed' varieswith the rate of Huid-flow through said pipe, a valve controlling therate of fluid-flow through said pipe, power-open' atedmeans for movingsaid valve-toward and from closed position to vary the size of' thepassage through the valve, and pilot means controlled "by the speed ofsaid displacement meter for controlling the supply of power to saidpower-operated means to move the valve toward and from closed positionupon increase and decrease respectively in the speed of saiddisplacement meter from normal and shutting` off the supply of power-tosaid power-operatedA means when the speed of said displacement meterreturns to normal.

' 7. In combination, a pipe through which there is a flow of Huid, adisplacement meter in said pipe, a'valve controlling the rate offluidflow through said pipe, power-operat`ed means for moving said valvetoward and from closed position to vary the size of the passage throughthe valve, and pilot means controlled by the speed of said displacementmeter for controlling the supply of power to said power-operated meansto move the valve toward and from vclosed position upon increase anddecrease respectively in the speed of said displacement meter fromnormal.

8. ln-combination, a pipe'through which there is a flow of fluid, adisplacement meter tion upon increase and decrease respectively in thespeed of said displacement meter from normal.

9. In combination, a pipe through which there is a' flow of iluid, adisplacement meter in said pipe, rate of iluid-ou] through said pipe, afluidpressure motor for operating said valve in opposite directions, a`pilot valve controlled by the speed 'of said displacement meter, andconnections controlled by said pilot valve and Varying the supply offluid pressure to said fluid-pressure motor.

v10. 4In combination` a pipe through which there is a flow of Huid, adisplacement meter a valve controlling thev associated with saidpivaries with the rate o fluid-flowv through said pipe, a valvecontrolling the rate of fluid-flow through said pipe, a fluid-pressuremotor for operating sald valvein opposite directions, a pilot valvecontrolled by the speed of said displacement meter, and connectionscontrolled by said pilot valve and varying the supply of fluid pressureto said fluid-pressure motor.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto setmy hand at Connersville, Indiana,this 2nd day of May, AQD. one thousand nine hundred and twenty three.

JOHN T. WILKIN.

e so that its. speed

